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 Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
    
Location: TEXAS | With the shorter days now and my busy schedule, just wondering if anyone uses lunging to get one in shape. Wouldn't it be similiar to them being on a walker? |
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 Too Skinny
Posts: 8009
Location: LA Lower Alabama | The biggest issue is boredom and you lose your riding fitness |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 670
Location: Running my kids somewhere. | I do have it in the routine to keep them fit. Just one of the parts. I don't know if it is similar to a hot walker, never used one. I free lunge in an area that is about 50x50; for 20-40 minutes. |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | It's a tool that I use if needed, but's it's usually my last option... I don't feel like it's quite the same as a walker--I think lounging can put more stress on their joints if you're pressuring for more speed than what a walker does.
Usually, I go home for lunch (a luxury that I know not everyone has) and pony two horses off the ATV for two miles. That's about all I can squeeze in. Then I snarf my lunch down in my pickup on my way back to work... Or I will use the round pen in the short bit of light after work, 15-20 minutes, switching directions several times. But there are occasions where I can't get it done, so I will turn my light on outside the barn, after I put my boys to bed, and lounge for 10-15 minutes, switching directions several times.
It's fine for my finished horses that don't need much tuning, and that's how they get most of their structured exercise. For my others, I will take it for keeping them in shape when I simply don't have daylight hours to ride--so that I can have more productive sessions when I can sneak in a ride, or get them somewhere for an exhibition.
I'm one of those people that want to win, and sometimes you have to do what you can with the hours and facilities you have, even if it's not ideal. In my case, that utilizes lunchtimes, round pens and lounging.
Edited by RockinGR 2016-11-14 2:00 PM
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | Nope...never....m |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I do. However, I don't do it more than once a week. I only do that if I am pressed for time. Because, to me its not the same as riding. It will help keep them in shape but riding is still necessary. I make sure that they are going each direction the same amount of laps. I probably look like a crazy person out there holding my fingers out counting lol  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| I lunge about twice a week, because I'm working from dark to dark now...so since I can't ride on weekdays, I think lunging is better than them sitting around all week! Of course it doesn't build a ton of muscle or anything, but it does keep them fit on the off days =] And it can be a good workout for you if you have one that pulls like mad! ;] haha |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I don't even know if mine know how to lunge - but I was thinking about this today, if I got a good headlamp we could lunge for a bit in one of our flat lots...
But we have about 3 weeks and 4 runs left in our year, so maybe for spring if the ground is good. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| Would rather ride |
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Expert
Posts: 1509
Location: TN | I try to stay away from making them do small circles unless it is for tuning purposes. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Yes. I'd rather ride, but time constraints right now have me lunging my finished mare to try and get her back in some kind of shape to hopefully ride her next year. She hasn't been ridden in three years and I have one that's not finished that is taking up all of my riding time. I am only lunging her for 10-15 minutes a day right now, though. |
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Veteran
Posts: 291
| I do longe my horse about once a week, when I am short on time. I do however tie two longe lines together to make the circle much bigger, as smaller circles are harder on the horse's joints. Most of my horses require a chain on their nose or a bit in their mouth when I longe them, cause the bigger circles allow them to get to running and they will pull away from me. I make sure that they trot and lope the same number of times in each direction. |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I've learned that proper lunging can be a very valuable conditioning and training tool. If all you do is stand with a whip and drive the horse around in a circle, then it's just like a hot-walker or loping circles. If you really want to make the most out of your time, lunging can be physically demanding to both you and your horse. Besides conditioning, you can teach collection and balance in small circles and larger ones, plus it teaches a youngster especially how to use themselves. They learn to listen to you real well on a lunge line, and that becomes a good habit. Lunging with collection can really help to develop the top line and head set.
We use something called the "balanced training system" which employs a surcingle, bungee lines, a halter, head stall/bit, etc....
It's also good conditioning for YOU, if you are doing it right.
Here's what I'm talking about:
http://www.unitedvetequine.com/horse-training/Balance-Training-Syst... |
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 Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | Bear - 2016-11-16 10:11 AM I've learned that proper lunging can be a very valuable conditioning and training tool. If all you do is stand with a whip and drive the horse around in a circle, then it's just like a hot-walker or loping circles. If you really want to make the most out of your time, lunging can be physically demanding to both you and your horse. Besides conditioning, you can teach collection and balance in small circles and larger ones, plus it teaches a youngster especially how to use themselves. They learn to listen to you real well on a lunge line, and that becomes a good habit. Lunging with collection can really help to develop the top line and head set. We use something called the "balanced training system" which employs a surcingle, bungee lines, a halter, head stall/bit, etc.... It's also good conditioning for YOU, if you are doing it right. Here's what I'm talking about: http://www.unitedvetequine.com/horse-training/Balance-Training-Syst...
When it's cold, snowy and icy, I use the BTS in our calving barn and in 32 minutes 3x a week, mine will stay muscled up and strong...
 (MarlinBTSsm.jpg)Attachments ----------------  MarlinBTSsm.jpg (88KB - 171 downloads) |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | There's a lot you can work on with lungeing. Rollbacks, bit up properly and work on collection, speed control, departures, stretching. I use the round pen a lot this time,of year and fine tune on some ground work too and I can tell a big difference. I will also free lunge 2-4 at a time in a big arena or in the pasture and they get a fun workout. BUT they gave to be used to each other and have round penned a lot, and you have to have good fences and know when and where to back off. We used to free lunge halter Arabs in the big pen at the farm I worked at and they were very fit from it. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Here's a video of how we use the BTS. You can see how it really helps with not just conditioning, but collection, stops, using themselves, and just listening.
https://youtu.be/hibzjty3gRw |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
Location: Jersey Girl | I use the round pen. Esp now since I have not been able to ride in a long while. |
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Tell It Like It Is
Posts: 22025
Location: Wyoming | like others have said, there is a lot that you can do on a lunge line besides boring circles.
One of my favorites is teaching them to move their hip, then their shoulder , around in a circle at a walk and trot, then have them smoothly switch directions while moving. It really gets them thinking and can be a great work out for both.
This is one of many great lunging exercises that will transition into the saddle .
Checkout Buck Brannaman's 7 Clinics DVD series. Tons of info in there.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| I've been working on some of bucks exercises since the weather has changed,moving hips and shoulders while walking in a straight line is a hard one. |
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Veteran
Posts: 138
| ND3canAddict - 2016-11-17 4:00 PM
Bear - 2016-11-16 10:11 AM I've learned that proper lunging can be a very valuable conditioning and training tool. If all you do is stand with a whip and drive the horse around in a circle, then it's just like a hot-walker or loping circles. If you really want to make the most out of your time, lunging can be physically demanding to both you and your horse. Besides conditioning, you can teach collection and balance in small circles and larger ones, plus it teaches a youngster especially how to use themselves. They learn to listen to you real well on a lunge line, and that becomes a good habit. Lunging with collection can really help to develop the top line and head set. We use something called the "balanced training system" which employs a surcingle, bungee lines, a halter, head stall/bit, etc.... It's also good conditioning for YOU, if you are doing it right. Here's what I'm talking about: http://www.unitedvetequine.com/horse-training/Balance-Training-Syst...
When it's cold, snowy and icy, I use the BTS in our calving barn and in 32 minutes 3x a week, mine will stay muscled up and strong...
I would not recommend one of the Pessoa lunging systems (or any of the knock offs ). It essentially punishes the horse in the mouth every time their hind leg is back behind them. 
I would also not recommend that anybody lunge in side reins unless you are shown how to properly use them by a qualified trainer.
Personally, I don't lunge but once in a blue moon. It is hard on their joints to go at speed in a small circle for very long, and it also makes your horse more fit while you are less so. I always roll my eyes at people who say they need to lunge the crazy out of their horse before getting on, when lunging is pretty counterproductive to that end. |
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